Nina V. Fedoroff, Evan Pugh Professor, Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University; Distinguished Visiting Professor, King Abdullah University for Science and Technology; and President, AAAS

2:00 MAJOR ISSUES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY (Concurrent Sessions)

(A) Communicating Science for Policy

• Why should scientists be concerned? • Scientists’ communication styles and how different audiences react to them • Being your own translator: adjusting your message for intended audiences • Tools and resources

Moderator: Rick Borchelt, Special Assistant for Public Affairs, Office of the Director, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health

Cornelia Dean, Science Writer and Former Editor, Science Section, The New York Times; author of Am I Making Myself Clear? A Scientist's Guide to Talking to the Public

Nancy Baron, Director of Science Outreach, Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS); author of Escape From the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter

• The Administration’s principles regarding scientific integrity in government • Implementation by federal agencies • Responsibilities of agencies and officials • Responsibilities of individual scientists • Universal principles of research integrity for all scientists, regardless of their institutional setting

Moderator: David Goldston, Director of Government Affairs, Natural Resources Defense Council; and member, AAAS Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy

Alan D. Thornhill, Science Advisor to the Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Department of the Interior

George Gray, Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health; and Director, Center for Risk Science and Public Health, George Washington University; and former Assistant Administrator, Office of Research and Development, Environmental Protection Agency

Felicity Barringer, National Environmental Correspondent, The New York Times

Just over a year ago, the nation experienced its largest oil spill. Many of the investigations have been completed, and plans for restoring the Gulf’s ecosystem have begun. • What have we learned, and what else do we need to learn? • Are the scientific questions about how to respond to a large oil spill better understood now than a year ago? • How is science contributing to the clean-up and recovery efforts? • What are the appropriate procedures for review and release of scientific information during a crisis?

• What should be the elements of a U.S. innovation strategy? How explicit should they be? • Other nations’ strategies for research and innovation – what can the U.S. learn from them? • How, and to what extent, can national policies help foster the kinds of skills and capacities needed for the 21st century economy?

1:45 U.S. RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES: HOW MANY DO WE NEED? HOW MANY CAN WE AFFORD? (Plenary Session)

• Research universities: Their health and prospects • How sustainable are current trends? • The distinctive challenges for public and private research universities • Making do with less • The role of government

Moderator: Albert H. Teich, Senior Policy Advisor, AAAS

Tobin Smith, Vice President for Policy, Association of American Universities

Debra Stewart, President, Council of Graduate Schools

Irwin Feller, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Pennsylvania State University